THE OXYGEN EDGE™ & OXY-CHUM™

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated many years ago in the last century that 5 PPM (parts per million) dissolved oxygen concentration is safe for fish living undisturbed in their natural environmental waters. The EPA says 5 PPM DO is acceptable and a satisfactory dissolved oxygen water quality parameter for wild fish that are living in steady state environments in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ponds, etc. provided the fish are not under constant, severe, steady stress or overcrowded.

Of course fishermen don't deal with any baitfish or gamefish in a natural steady state environment anytime, anywhere. Fishermen deal with crisis intervention, transporting, netting, hooking and fighting  extremely traumatized gamefish exposed to extreme livewell hypoxia, serious sustained anaerobic stress and exhaustion and then transport them in small overcrowded aerated boat livewells and bait tanks under continuous high stress, overcrowded conditions and poor livewell water quality for 8-9 hours in small boat livewells and bait tanks.

Fishermen experience high acute and delayed tournament mortality and many sick gamefish every summer. Live bait fishermen experience high live bait kills, high live bait costs and sloppy red nose bait  not fit for fishing by noon which is common every summer.

Transporting live fish hauled over land or in boat livewells and bait tanks is not a safe steady state environment. Transporting traumatized gamefish, bait fish and bait shrimp require and need more oxygen than 5 PPM recommended by the FDA for fish living in the steady state environmental waters with no stress. Live fish transport in small aerated livewells and bait tanks is certainly NOT considered a steady state environment like a lake or river with an optimum healthy environmental water quality by any stretch of the imagination anywhere in the world by anyone that knows anything about transporting live mature gamefish and live baitfish. Fishermen transport live gamefish and live bait in serious crisis and continuously highly stressed 8-9 hours in fishing tournaments and fishing trips.

Traumatically captured 'hooked and fought'  wild mature gamefish  experience extreme anaerobic conditions by the time they're landed. They need 100% to 150% dissolved oxygen saturation continuously supplied in livewell and bait tank water during transport while in captivity in order to reestablish normal aerobic metabolism. Compressed oxygen administration is absolutely needed to insure minimal safe dissolved oxygen saturations during live gamefish and live bait transports and to quickly establish anaerobic metabolism as quickly as possible (in seconds after landing, not 8-9 hours after landing).  If pure oxygen was not necessary for hauling live fish then every Federal and State fish hatchery would not waste their time or their money buying and using compressed oxygen for every live fish transport.

It is absolutely critical that pure oxygen supply and dose administered meet or exceed the physiological requirements (biological oxygen demand BOD) for all the gamefish, baitfish and bacteria contained in the livewell hour after hour of transport and captivity. Minimal DO saturation for all live fish transports... 100% DO saturation. See freshwater and saltwater DO saturation charts below.

You are now seeing more tournament  bass release boats and tournament hauling trailers using compressed welding oxygen cylinders, bubbling pure welding oxygen continuously into the livewell water and checking the dissolved oxygen saturations with a DO meter and recording the test results for a written records documenting weigh-in holding tank and release boat haul tank water quality.  

Some tournament officials and a few fishermen know that fish and live bait must have enough pure oxygen to be healthy and that aerators and water pumps will often fail to provide safe dissolved oxygen saturations in the summer.

Several C&R tournament directors have a very good reason and justification to administer pure compressed oxygen (see those big green welding oxygen cylinders) in weigh-in holding tanks and livewell hauling water in release boats when transporting live tournament gamefish to the release site after the tournament.

They know that livewell DO concentrations at 5 PPM is simply not enough oxygen for hauling live gamefish or live baitfish. They know these fish are in crisis during captivity and they require 100% DO saturation or more (DO supersaturation). In order to insure safe water quality in their holding tanks and release boat haul tanks they have purchased a dissolved oxygen meter and they routinely test DO saturation levels and record the test results in order to demonstrate to the public and the media that they are willing to provide the best tournament fish care possible and buy the equipment necessary to do the best job.

It's very  important that the public and the media see those big green compressed oxygen cylinders bubbling pure oxygen into weigh-in holding tanks, release boat livewells and trailer hauling tanks.

The best tournament fish care that the public sees at the better managed weigh-ins only last maybe 30 minutes and that's at the end of the fishing day. All that great care the public and media sees won't do much good after a gamefish has been abused in a boat livewell 8-9 hours by the fisherman before the weigh-in, it's way to  late for the fish by then even with the 30 minutes of prime fish care provided at the weigh-in site before the fish is photographed released.

The real abuse and irreversible physical injury  has already been going on for many hours in the boats livewell. That's the initial 8-9 hours of continuous livewell abuse the fisherman was responsible for that began early in the morning when the first fish or bait was caught... and the crisis and livewell stress got much worse hour after hour.

Tournament C&R fishermen are not required by any tournament C&R fishing rules to be responsible for safe dissolved oxygen saturation, water quality in their boats livewell, that's a built in "no fault-get out clause.. a catch 22" that eliminates and excuses any and all tournament fishermen from any responsible for his tournament fish care or his boats livewell water quality, specifically dissolved oxygen saturation while he has possession and responsibility of his catch all day.

The public and media are not allowed to see what's happening in the boat livewells (test boat livewell DO saturation levels) where the limit of fish are confined most of the day, nor is a contestants boat livewell water ever tested ever for minimal safe dissolved saturation when loaded with mature gamefish at the weigh-in site before the catch is bagged and transported to a weigh-in holding tank.

The fishermans fish care responsibility and the boats livewell water quality is strictly taboo for tournament directors! Most tournament directors practice the no look, no test DO saturations in the boat livewell water, no see, no tell mindset because if the DO saturation was ever tested in boat livewells containing a limit of gamefish, well that's going to create a major C&R tournament fishing problem when the media and the public find out just how deadly the water quality is  inside aerated boat livewells in the summer and why fish are suffocated while in captivity in boat livewells.

Tournament rules require no livewell DO saturation testing to confirm minimal safe dissolved oxygen saturations, that the boat livewell really is a "functional livewell." The DO saturation should be testes in boat livewells containing a limit of mature tournament caught gamefish. The DO saturation test value is meaningless if the livewell does not contain a limit of mature tournament gamefish or a full bait load when the water is tested.

If the livewell water pump will pump some water or the aerator makes any humming noise and will sprays some water inside the livewell or a mechanical aerator makes some air bubbles, most tournament officials responsible the boats "functional livewell" rule declares the he has examined the contestants boats livewells and he/she certifies that the boat has a "functional livewell."

Tournament officials do not and will not test boat livewell dissolved oxygen saturation nor will they  certify the livewell is capable of maintaining minimal safe water quality for an 8-9 hour tournament day transporting a limit of tournament gamefish.

It only seems to me that any logical thinking person would think a "functional livewell" on a tournament boat or live bait tank stuffed with limits of gamefish should maintain minimal safe water quality and safe dissolved oxygen saturations (>100% DO saturation) continuously throughout an 8-9 hour transport in order to prevent chronic, sustained livewell/bait tank hypoxia and livewell suffocation.

Would you believe there are many C&R fishing tournament directors in America, weigh-masters, contestants and fishermen that DO NOT think or believe that is logical at all.

Tournament redfish, speckled trout, snook, stripers, bass, walleye, crappie and live bait suffer tremendous cellular oxygen debt and sustained anaerobic metabolism after being hooked, fought and transported in aerated livewells and bait tanks all day every summer.

Reversing that cellular  oxygen debt as quickly as possible, seconds after landing the fish or netting the bait is vitally important for fish health and if reducing acute and delayed tournament mortality is your goal.

Room air is not pure oxygen and will not insure safe livewell oxygenation regardless of the volume of air or water you pump or the number of pumps used in your livewell.

SAFE OXYGEN CONCENTRATIONS FOR LIVE FISH TRANSPORT

DISSOLVED  OXYGEN  CHART  SEAWATER  @  SEA LEVEL

Cooling livewell water temperature 10 degrees F. (86.0 F. down to  75.2 F.) with ice (inducing hypothermia) will reduce metabolism a little and minimally increase the DO concentration only 0.08 ppm  for every 10 degree change in water Temperature. That's less than 1 part per million which isn't much! The negative effects of the temperature shock you cause often outweigh the benefits of inducing hypothermia if your desire is fishing with high quality live bait. The BIG shock and disappointment occurs when you hook up that chilled bait and toss it into that hot environmental water. When chilled hooked bait hits hot environmental water, they  become lethargic quickly, often dying on the hook in minutes - that's temperature shock.

DISSOLVED  OXYGEN  CHART  FRESHWATER  @  SEA LEVEL

It is a fact that fish metabolism (scientifically measured by the amount oxygen a fish actually uses via swimming test) is regulated and CONTROLLED by water temperature, and LIMITED by the volume, concentrations and availability of dissolved oxygen in it's environment - always.

Low environmental dissolved oxygen concentrations is why 'the bite' slows down in warm weather while at the same time a fish's metabolic rate is highest. When the water gets hot in the summer, 'the bite' often stops. Fish are cold-blooded, their lives and eating habits are controlled by the availability and concentrations of dissolved oxygen in their environment and water temperatures.

Live Fish Transporters that are the real experts

We queried numerous Federal and State fish hatcheries throughout the country regarding their policy and procedures for maintaining safe dissolved oxygen concentrations when transporting live fish in captivity. We asked, "Does your department bubble compressed oxygen into your transport live wells and what minimal DO concentrations do you require during live fish transports?"

 Every Federal and State hatchery (Saltwater and Freshwater)  oxygenates their transport tank hauling water with compressed oxygen in order to ensure safe dissolved oxygen concentrations. None  uses mechanical aerators to oxygenate the water, yet some did use a mechanical aerator only for off-gassing dissolved carbon dioxide while transporting live fish. These folks are professional fish keepers and transporters. They're successful because they transport live fish with compressed oxygen.

Tournament anglers, tournament directors, sponsors, promoters and organizers promoting catch and live release fishing tournaments say, "we want to provide the best possible fish care for out tournament fish so the fish can fight in next weeks tournament." The saying is admirable and has secured millions of sponsorship dollars, but few really provide the best care possible for the catch. Electric livewell aerators, bait pumps, air compressors with air stones, flow-through livewell pumps etc. does not insure safe oxygenation for your catch or live bait regardless of what you've been told, read or heard about. Being responsible, acting positively by employing new live well oxygen technologies reduce tournament fish stress, reverses cellular oxygen debt, post release disease, acute and delayed mortality. 

Providing the best possible care for tournament fish and live bait is a choice, not a chance. The best care requires livewell oxygen injection systems and supplemental livewell oxygen administration from the time of capture until the final release.

PROFESSIONALS USE COMPRESSED OXYGEN TO TRANSPORT LIVE FISH

(2)  Bill Halstead, Research Administrator, Fisheries Stock Enhancement, FWC Stock Enhancement Research Facility, 14495 Harllee Road, Port Manatee, FL 34221-9620,  941-723-4505/SunCom 516-0603
Fax: 941-723-4507/SunCom 516-0605                                      bill.halstead@fwc.state.fl.us   www.floridamarine.org

"We transport fish for stocking and other purposes in live-haul tanks that we oxygenate with compressed gas [pure oxygen]. We try to maintain DO levels between 7.0 and 12.0 mg/L. We do not use mechanical aerators or agitators and we do not circulate the water in the transport cells. I have transported snook fingerlings between Texas and Florida, a trip that took approximately 24 hours, with no mortality using this method. We routinely haul redfish, snook and sea trout using this method and they all do well."

(3) Robert R. Vega, Manager, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Coastal Marine Development Center,   e-mail:  Robert.Vega@tpwd.state.tx.us

"We transport all sizes of fish as associated with the TPWD hatchery program. We use 600 gallon fiberglass hauling tanks, and a compressed oxygen system (porous diffusing tubes). We have not used a liquid oxygen system. Optimum dissolved oxygen concentrations in our trailers range from   6 - 9 ppm depending on fish density, fish sizes, and water temperature. During long distance hauls you should also consider pH levels in conjunction with ammonia (metabolic waste products)."   

(4) Greg Vermeer, MS, Associate Research Scientist,  Aquatic Animal Health, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 14495 Harllee Road, Port Manatee, FL  34221-9620, (941) 723-4505, FAX:  (941) 723-4507, SunCom:  516-0603   greg.vermeer@fwc.state.fl.us

"Avoiding anaerobic metabolism as much as possible and getting rid of oxygen debt as quickly as possible is certainly in the best interest of the fish. However, given the severity and rapid sequence of stressors (angling fatigue and injury, high temperature, live well crowding, transport, etc.) I don't see any measures that you could take, short of actually eliminating some of the stressors, that will make much difference. Stressors that are not separated by at least three days are additive."

(5)  Russell Miget, Ph.D., Texas Parks and Wildlife Department,  rmiget@falcon.tamucc.edu 

"I would agree with others you have talked with that DO concentrations of a
least 100% be maintained in live hauling systems for shrimp. These animals
are stressed as it is and adding the additional burden of low DO should be
avoided. Fortunately this can be easily accomplished using compressed
oxygen. What I have most often found with both live shrimp haulers as well as live bait dealers is that they feel as though vigorous agitation of the water (usually via spray bars) will maintain sufficient oxygen in the system. Depending on the design of
the system, the biomass of animals, as well as the volume this approach to aeration ranges from mediocre to poor. The most efficient, and cost effective method to maintain saturation is to use compressed oxygen . Hope
this helps."

(6)  Ken Kurzawski, Inland Fisheries Division, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Ken.Kurzawski@tpwd.state.tx.us

"The best guidelines I know of were developed by Gene Gilliland, a researcher and bass tournament angler with the Oklahoma Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries.

When transporting lunkers from the Share Lunker program, we almost always are transporting just one fish. Also, the program runs from October 1 through April 30, so hot water temperatures are not a factor. Our equipment will maintain dissolved oxygen levels at close to 100% saturation for the water temperatures that we encounter when hauling lunkers; probably 8 to 9 ppm at around 65 to 70 degrees."

"Of course, the best way for reducing mortality of bass caught in warm weather is not to subject them to being held in livewells. Getting an accurate length and immediately releasing the fish will insure the highest survival."

(7)  Todd Engeling, Program Director, A.E. Wood Fish Hatchery, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Inland Fisheries, Todd.Engeling@tpwd.state.tx.us

"Dissolved oxygen should be at least at saturation levels, which is dependent on temperature and altitude. Some examples follow: 75 degrees F at sea level saturation is 8.7 ppm at 2000 ft. It is 7.8 ppm at 83 degrees F at sea level saturation is 7.8 ppm at 2000 ft is 7.3 ppm. A good rule of thumb is to haul one pound of fish /gallon of water, but if you are going to exceed that be sure to keep the dissolved oxygen above saturation (10-15 ppm) and the water temperature below 72 F."

(8)  David Campbell, Program Director, TP&W Trophy Largemouth Bass Program (The Lunker Program), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department,  david.campbell@tpwd.state.tx.us

"Yes, we do use compressed oxygen during tranporting. The problem I have is the super saturation in the summer time, with a closed tank and oxygen going in with only one fish. A agitator is used if necessary to maintain a workable level of one or two parts within saturation. Here at the Center, air and not oxygen, is injected into the holding tanks along with water which maintains a saturation level."

(9)  Norm P. Heil, Project Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Warm Springs Fish Health Center, Norm_Heil@fws.gov

"Things to consider when hauling Bass under tournament conditions: ie, small space, large fish:
Optimum DO, 7-8 ppm for extended periods. The ideal hauling rule of thumb is one pound of fish to every gallon water to reduce stress for long periods."

(10)  Dennis P. Lee, Senior Fisheries Biologist, Fisheries Programs Branch, California Department of Fish and Game, dlee@dfg.ca.gov

"When transporting fish, we generally bubble oxygen (O2) into the transport water with a diffuser, the dissolved oxygen level is at saturation for existing water temperature and elevation Transporters used to move or haul live black bass are equipped with compressed oxygen tanks and regulators to bubble oxygen through one or two bottom mounted diffusers.

It is sometimes difficult, however, to keep levels above 5 ppm when water temperatures exceed 75 F. by simple aeration. However, if you bubble oxygen into the water, it should be no problem."

(11)  Chris Martin, Senior Fisheries Biologist, Georgia Resources Division, Fisheries Management Section, Chris_Martin@mail.dnr.state.ga.us

"We use compressed welding oxygen to supply oxygen in our fish hauling tanks. We shoot for 10 parts per million dissolved oxygen."

(12)  Mark McElroy, District Vll Inland Fisheries Supervisor, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, McElroy_MG@wlf.state.la.us

"Compressed Oxygen always. Often, we are transporting a lot of fish and to reduce the stress we want as much oxygen in the water as we can get."

(13)  Nick Nichols, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Marion State Fish Hatchery msfh@westal.net

"Usually whenever we are transporting fish, winter or summer, our aeration equipment in our transport tanks will maintain the dissolved oxygen concentrations at levels approaching saturation levels. Aeration is primarily used to lower the dissolved carbon dioxide sense the dissolved oxygen concentration is controlled with compressed oxygen. At 90 degrees F, dissolved oxygen levels may be around 7 ppm. , the mechanical aeration is primarily used to remove CO2 from the water. We also like to have it as a backup in case we have a problem with the O2 system.

We generally avoid transporting fish in mid to late summer though for the following reasons.
Warmer water holds less oxygen in solution in warm water while the fish's respiration and metabolic rate is higher. Also in warmer weather, bacteria densities in water are much higher, though this is somewhat offset by the fish's immune response being higher as well. The main reason that we haul fewer fish in summer months is that when we harvest ponds in hot weather the fish are more likely to be stressed during harvest."

(14)  Bob Wattendorf, Fisheries Marketing & Special Projects, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

"Our hatchery uses compressed oxygen. We strive to keep it above 7ppm, 6 is normally adequate much less than that and there will be some stress. 6-8 ppm is very adequate provided you keep the fish at close to or even a few degrees cooler than the water temperature they were taken from (not the surface temperature but the temp at the depth the fish were holding)."

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